Page 111 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
Bitter, heavy tears roll over my cheeks, but I keep my spine straight. Everyone cries at weddings.
“Mortal love wanes. Fae love burns to the bone,” the sprite starts, the words severe and dry, like a warning.
Fuck. I’m going to be sick.
I brace my shaky hands on my thighs, biting the insides of my cheeks. Elio covers my hand with his and gives it a gentle squeeze.
Everything plays out impossibly slowly, Heather’s vows carving out my heart, one eloquent word at the time.
“Aidan Summers. We’ve been through so much together. From a fast friendship during which you proved yourself the best confidante a woman could ask for, you claimed a permanent piece of my heart and became so much more. Often my partner in crime, at times my savior, but always in my corner, you showed me the light in my darkest days. I couldn’t have found someone more passionate or kind as you, and I thank the Flame that our paths crossed when they did. As your wife and future queen, I promise to stand by your side through every challenge life might bring.”
She passes Aidan the familiar ruby-encrusted dagger, and my stomach clenches as he fails to take it. His gaze darts to the ground for a second before it veers to the side, toward the crowd.
Searching for something. Or someone.
I sink my nails into my palms as he steps off the altar with a worried frown.
“Mother!” He suddenly leaps toward the front row.
Under the paralyzed stares of the Summer Court, Thera collapses to the floor of the Abbey, her regal tulle gown sprawled out over the white marble, red as blood.
Chapter 34
A Thousand Cuts
AIDAN
After tucking Mother into bed with the healers at her side, I find Heather standing on the royal balcony that overlooks the gardens. The expansive apartments my father used back when he ruled over the academy have been remodeled to allow the queen a much needed reprieve from the scrutiny she suffered in the capital.
The sun is high in the sky and casts a warm golden glow over the sprawling hedges of bleeding hearts and meticulously arranged flower beds. The scent of blooming roses drifts up on the afternoon breeze, mingling with the salt of the stormy sea. Heather’s long brown hair catches the light, shimmering as it cascades down her back. She’s a vision of elegance in her wedding dress.
“This is a disaster. I told her she should have been transparent about her condition from the start. Now, people are going to talk even more,” my bride laments, hands clenched around the wrought-iron railing of the balcony.
“Fae royals better function at full power or six feet under. Anything in between sparks pockets of unrest.”
It was my mother’s decision not to let anyone know she’s sick, to avoid the uncertainty and anguish that would inevitably shake the kingdom at the news of her impending death.
Even though I’ve been marked as her heir since the womb, people would draw up every crazy scenario in the books, wondering about possible challengers. “And she didn’t want to cast a shadow over the wedding,” I add.
“That worked well,” Heather huffs with a sarcastic smile. “If her sickness was a widely spread fact, it would be easier to smooth out what happened. What are we supposed to tell people, now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Some luck, eh?” She turns to face me as I approach, her brown eyes meeting mine with a warmth that’s as familiar as it is comforting. I’ve known Heather for most of my adult life—she’s been my best friend, my confidante, and now, the woman I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with. But as I look at her, a pang of uncertainty stabs at my chest.
She cups my cheek. “Are you having cold feet? It’s perfectly normal. Our lives are about to change, and it’s not always going to be easy. To make us work, I mean.”
“You’re the best partner I could hope for.”
“But we’re not in love. You know that has been an issue for me ever since we made the decision.”
“Remember last month, when you refused my proposal because you didn’t think it was fair to me?”
“Yes?” She tilts her head slightly, studying me with a curious expression.
“What changed?”
She pauses, her gaze drifting out over the gardens. The silence stretches between us, filled with the distant chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves.
